JugJugg Jeeyo director Raj Mehta recalls his first meeting with Neetu Kapoor: My hands were shaking

Raj Mehta made a smashing directorial debut in 2019 with Good Newwz, so automatically, the curiosity and expectations with his upcoming release JugJugg Jeeyo are sky high. To add to that, the film features a starry ensemble cast of Varun Dhawan, Kiara Advani, Neetu Kapoor and Anil Kapoor. It also marks the acting comeback for Neetu Kapoor after almost a decade of her last project Besharam. And while Raj got to direct her in his second film, he was as mesmerised by her charm as everyone is.

 

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During a recent media interaction for JugJugg Jeeyo, when Raj was asked if it was difficult to convince Neetu ji to come on board, he agreed, giving half the credit of her saying yes to Karan Johar. “Yes, but thankfully Karan had already done half my job before I even met her with the story. He had told her that she really needed to come back but she was unsure. She said that she was a little nervous because Rishi sir had just passed away and she was in that phase of life where she was unsure whether she wanted to work or not. So thankfully, before I went to meet her, Karan had told her that it is a nice story and she should do it. I just had to go and narrate the story to her and thankfully she really liked it. She did take some time to think about it because she still had some apprehensions about whether she wants to work or not. But eventually a week later, she said that she was on board,”  Raj revealed.

 

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With two legends like Anil Kapoor and Neetu ji in the film, Raj admitted that he had to change his approach a little with them. “You have to be a little more careful about how you get your things done. I could go up to Varun and Kiara and tell them that this is not how it is but with Neetu ma’am and Anil sir, you have to be a little careful ke tum abhi bhi naye director ho. You can’t be like ye karo na. Just put yourself in place and be like sir or ma’am I feel like this is how it should be. And thankfully I have realised that legends are probably more easier and adaptable also. So, it was actually not that difficult, it’s just my approach was a little bit different with Neetu ma’am and Anil sir than with Kiara and Varun,” he insisted.

 

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As it is imminent to get lost in the aura of Neetu ji, even Raj has been a victim to it. When asked about it, he recalled his first meeting the legendary actress. “The first time I went and met her in her house (was when I was smitten). As I told you, Karan ne already mana ke rakha tha unhe that it is a good story and a good director. When I went in, he told me that just tell the story, I have done half your job, so I said okay. So, the first time I met her, she had this voice, this personality and for me, Neetu Kapoor is like an icon, so, I was really nervous and when I was narrating the story to her, my hands were shaking I don’t know why. And that didn’t happen with Anil sir, I promise you, but with Neetu ma’am, I don’t know what it was. It’s just her persona or the fact that she was sitting in front of me. She was shooting for films when I was born. But once you start working and build that relationship, it’s all good,” he remembered fondly.

 

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JugJugg Jeeyo is all set to hit the theatres next Friday and this family entertainer is expected to break the dry spell for Hindi films at the box office.

Also Read: Did you know JugJugg Jeeyo had a different title originally? Raj Mehta spills the beans